


honey and hopefulness

by maureenbrown



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Based on a Tumblr Post, F/F, Inspired By Tumblr, Pipazel, Pre-Femslash, Superheroes, Tumblr Prompt, hazel's a misunderstood villain and piper can protect her (even though she doesn't really need it)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-24
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-07-18 01:48:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7294636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maureenbrown/pseuds/maureenbrown
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darkness curls around her like smoke, devouring Piper’s ankles and enveloping her all the way up until a pair of glowing golden eyes is the only thing that stands out amidst the night. “Just give up, Charmspeaker.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	honey and hopefulness

Darkness curls around her like smoke, devouring Piper’s ankles and enveloping her all the way up until a pair of glowing golden eyes is the only thing that stands out amidst the night. “Just give up, Charmspeaker.”

Piper gives a feeble cough, fumbling through the night to grasp something, but she can hardly feel the ground beneath her feet anymore. “You know, that nickname wasn’t really my idea. I wanted a better one, but the creative department didn’t have enough inspiration that day.” She mutters, and as soon as they spill out of her mouth she regrets speaking. What if they’re her last?

“Shut up!” The Gem commands, otherwise known as Hazel Levesque, and the darkness coils around her throat. She gasps, writhing as if invisible hands were cutting off her circulation, thrashing violently. 

Piper closes her eyes, allowing it to look even darker anyways so she doesn’t have to see her narrowed, flashing eyes anymore. 

She holds her breath, allowing her body to go limp, hoping it will trick her. There’s really not much she could do otherwise, her vocal cords scream with agony, but they won’t allow her as much as a whisper. As quickly as the darkness came, it disappears, and she collapses onto the dark cobblestones onto her face, feeling the rock hit her bones, but nothing breaks. The sound of the collision blocks out the tiny whimper she makes, and she forces herself to take minimal breaths through her mouth.

The Gem approaches her, her nimble feet tiptoeing through the alleyway, and Piper allows her to get close enough before sweeping her, aiming a kick to her ankle and having it successfully connect. She breaths hard, clambering on top of the Gem quickly before she can move and pinning her flailing arms to her sides. She really doesn’t weigh much, and without the coiling smoke, she doesn’t feel very powerful at all. 

Speaking of which, she pulls the mask off of the girl’s face, revealing dark skin and a mess of curly, cinnamon colored locks that were mussed in the fight, deactivating her umbrakinesis. 

Piper quickly presses a button her arm, effectively alerting the authorities to their whereabouts, and the Gem—Hazel—seems to have given up.

“Nobody’s ever seen your real face before.” She murmurs, taking in her dark body suit, and Hazel huffs, turning her face away. There’s a gash along her face that was healed over, and Piper recounts the story about how she died, but resurrected herself. That must be a scar.

“Feel lucky?” Hazel asks, her voice attempting to be snarky, but her voice is quiet, helpless.

“I mean… No. I just don’t understand.” Piper whispers back, bowing her head. She hates getting sentimental, so she puts a little power into her words.

“I was misinformed.” Hazel mutters, her voice cracking, and Piper realizes she doesn’t even need to be sweet talked; she just wants someone to explain things to. Redemption. 

“They said I could get my mother back, you know.” Hazel starts quietly, and Piper shifts back on her waist. Her body is limp, but not poised so that she could suddenly attack her. Not that she would, she’s smart enough to know she wouldn’t win without her defenses.

“What happened to your mother?”

“Dead. I couldn’t bring her back, though.”

“Oh.” Piper knows how it feels to have someone die. Hazel looks impossibly thankful when she doesn’t apologize, her gaze flicking over just for a moment. She turns her head a bit, showing her scar, and tipping her head up carefully to reveal all of it when Piper doesn’t look phased.

“You’re not repulsed?” Hazel asks, sounding and looking tiny.

“No.” Piper replies honestly. “It’s what happens when you’re a…” She trails off, gritting her teeth, and Hazel turns away again.

“I’m not a hero. I know what you were going to say. I’m far from it.”

“I didn’t used to be good.” Piper says on another not, piquing Hazel’s interest and drawing her away from the past topic temporarily. 

“Oh, really? You, Mrs. Goody Two Shoes?” Hazel asks, and it doesn’t really sound like an insult. A part of her sounds yearning.

“Yeah, I used to steal things for my own benefit. Not really stealing, I’d just ask. Committed a bunch of felonies. But I turned my life around.” Piper confesses, her tone as gentle as possible.

“I’ve killed people, Charmspeaker. Did you ever do that?” Hazel inquires, her expression regretful, and Piper eventually shakes her head ruefully.

“I’m a lost case, just admit it.” Hazel sighs monotonously, her eyes drifting shut as if she could sleep her interrogation off.

“Nobody ever is.”

“I am.”

“I don’t believe you, Hazel.”

The Gem blinks when her birth name is said, her lip twitching, though it’s minuscule. “Nobody’s called me that in a long time.”  
Sirens wail in the distance, and Piper stiffens, before tearing off her communicator spontaneously. She really thinks she can help this girl, she’s too fragile. She needs guidance and teaching. 

“I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced.” Piper calls over her shoulder, tugging a puzzled Hazel to her feet. They sprint, ducking past windows where they can’t be seen, and the Gem is a lot faster than her. They evade one spree of cop cars, crouched behind a counter of an abandoned bakery, waiting until it ebbs away. 

“My name’s Piper.” She mumbles, her voice just a notch above a whisper as she turns. Hazel’s gold eyes meet hers, but they’re not threatening or blinding anymore. Only a hue of honey, mixed with hopefulness. 

“Nice to meet you.”


End file.
